


Lying Here, No Fear in the Darkness

by Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Blood Drinking, But in a sexy way, Domestic Fluff, Fae & Fairies, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, Minor Angst, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Selkies, Succubi & Incubi, Vampires, Werewolves, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool/pseuds/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool
Summary: ' “Did you just kiss?” Calum asked from behind Michael. “Dammit, I thought Luke and Michael were gonna be the first ones to kiss.”Luke laughed, pressing a kiss to the side of Ashton’s head as he turned towards Michael and Calum.“Hang on,” Michael finally processed what Calum had said, “Why did you think Luke was gonna kiss me?” '
Relationships: Jack Barakat/Alex Gaskarth, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood/Ashton Irwin
Comments: 15
Kudos: 61





	Lying Here, No Fear in the Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy I have been working on this for ages and I'm so glad it's finally finished!!!! I love this au with my heart and soul, I'm so happy to finally get it out there, so I hope yall love it as much as I do.
> 
> Also special challenge: spot the secret trans character!

Calum and Michael had been friends for as long as either of them could remember. Their friendship had always been looked down upon by the elders, particularly of Michael’s community, due to the long-running animosity between the two species (although no one really knew where this hatred had come from).

Michael was a vampire, and Calum was a werewolf.

And despite the fact that most people disproved of their friendship, there were no laws against it, so they had moved in together, in a small town with a very mixed bag of species’. A place where no one bothered to question their relationship.

They owned a one bedroom apartment, and most of their furniture had been donated by Calum’s family, who had actually grown fond of Michael once they saw how close the pair were. The paint was peeling and sometimes the hot water stopped working, but it was home.

“Hey Mikey,” Calum dropped over the back of the couch, eyes already wide and pleading, and Michael rolled his eyes.

“Probably no, but go on.”

Calum wriggled around, cuddling up closer to Michael, “There’s a new magic shop, opened just down the road, owned by and actual fae, Mikey, an actual fae, and you know how much I love fae magic.”

Michael sighed, tugging Calum’s hair to stop his squirming, “And what does that have to do with me?”

“Duh. I want you to come with me to check it out.”

Michael rolled his eyes, “Why should I?”

And those were the keywords, as Calum rolled onto his back, staring up at Michael with the biggest, most imploring puppy-dog eyes, and of course the werewolf was amazing at puppy-dog eyes, but it was also helped by how absolutely _gone_ Michael was for Calum. He pretended to fight it, but he would probably do anything Calum asked him to.

“Alright, you dumb dog,” He swatted at the side of Calum’s head, and Calum cheered, springing to his feet.

Before Michael could really register what was happening, he had been dragged outside by a very over excited Calum, and the pair were stood in front of what had previously been a jewellery shop.

The shop front had been painted a deep blue, silver stars scattered across it. The sign declared the shop to be called ‘Voodoo Doll’, and Michael would have called it tacky, but the sign was messy and hand painted, and he couldn’t insult something that was clearly close to someone’s heart. A bell chimed as they walked in, and Michael immediately knew that Calum was going to fall in love with the shop.

The shelves were cluttered, items in vague categories. The lighting was soft and warm, and the whole place buzzed with glittery magic. The werewolf’s eyes were already wide and shining.

Calum scurried off, eye caught by something shiny, probably, and Michael made his way to the front counter, where a blonde boy, much younger than what Michael was expecting, was sat leaning over some sort of charm, carefully measuring herbs into a small vial.

He seemed to jump at Michael’s quiet approach, jerking to look at him. The boy smiled brightly, although something about his appearance didn’t seem quite right, sort of shifting and shimmering. A fae.

“Hi there, my name’s Luke. Are you looking for anything in particular?”

Michael smiled back, the boy’s happiness infectious, “Not really. My friend Calum loves these little hole-in-the-wall, personal shops. He’s wandered off somewhere,” he gestured behind himself vaguely, where his sharp hearing could pick up the sounds of Calum rummaging through something.

“Ah, understandable,” Luke eyed Michael for a moment, before saying, “Can I have your name? Wait- fuck- What’s your name. Don’t give it to me.”

“Michael,” He responded, laughing at the way Luke tried to avoid taking ownership of a complete stranger.

Luke hummed, smiling again, “Vampire?” And Michael’s eyes widened, slightly surprised.

“Yeah, I am. Are my eyes fucked up again?”

“No, your eyes are normal. It’s my super secret power,” Luke’s giggle sounded like sunshine, and Michael refused to say he swooned.

Michael was saved from his realisation by a loud crash and a yelp from somewhere near the back of the store. Luke looked slightly shocked, but he didn’t look angry, which was a positive.

“I’m sorry!” Came Calum’s voice, and he sheepishly stepped around a shelf, into view.

Michael rolled his eyes, “Dumb dog. You better not have knocked over anything expensive.”

Laughing softly, Luke stepped out from behind the counter, and _damn_ , those _legs_. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” he grabbed a vial from one of the shelves and crushed it on the ground. All the items that had been knocked over got scooped up by some vines that grew from the floor.

“Damn, we need one of those for our apartment,” Calum spoke up, grinning at Luke, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly.

Michael shoved Calum’s shoulder, “You’re the one who makes all the mess, dipshit.”

Luke watched the pair for a moment, before saying, “I thought werewolf and vampire friendships were frowned upon?”

Michael felt Calum tense beside him, a small growl rumbling deep in his chest, and Luke took a step back, hands out slightly.

“No- I didn’t mean it like that, I don’t care. I just thought all vamps and wolves hated each other.”

Once Calum relaxed again, Michael said, “Our communities hate it, we got semi-banished for being friends. My parents despise it. Calum’s family don’t mind as much. That’s why we moved here, it’s such a mixed community, not just wolves or vamps or pixies or whatever.”

Luke nodded, “That makes sense. People here don’t really care what you do, but I suppose some people have their own personal hang-ups. There’s a guy across the road I’m friends with, he owns the coffee shop, he’s super self conscious about his species, I think I’m the only one who knows, and that’s just because of my skill. His name’s Ashton.”

“What is he?” Michael asked.

Luke chewed his lip, shaking his head, “I shouldn’t tell you. He doesn’t want people to know.”

###

The three of them settled into an easy friendship, filled with banter and playful flirting and sometimes Michael wasn’t sure if the playful flirting was real flirting, but whatever. He wasn’t going to ruin what they had by doing something stupid. Like kissing one of them.

It was the day of the full moon when Michael and Calum finally met the mysterious Ashton guy that Luke kept mentioning.

Calum was jittery, bouncing his knee and cuddling up to Luke or Michael whenever he got the opportunity, until Luke had to physically push him off to help a snobby customer who wasn’t sympathetic at all towards the werewolf. Calum went and moped around Michael, who was restocking the crystals.

The bell above the door chimed the customers exit, and then soon after chimed someone else’s entrance. Michael wouldn’t have even looked up at this, if it weren’t for Luke’s loud shout of, “Ashton!” Followed by a surprised grunt and a thud that sounded like someone falling over.

Michael (hauling Calum with him) made his way over to the main open area by the door, and was greeted by the sight of Luke in the lap of another boy, who looked a little stunned.

Luke clambered out the boy’s lap and helped him up, and Michael got a proper look at the him.

He was a little shorter than Calum, but more muscular, with curly black hair and bright eyes that seemed to cycle between colours, mostly shifting between hazel, green, and blue, although his pupils remained wide and dark. Michael couldn’t judge him on pupils though, since Michael’s own pupils often slit when he was angry or hungry.

“Ashton, this is Michael and Calum, Mikey, Cal, this is Ashton,” Luke introduced them, and Ashton smiled, revealing some absolutely adorable dimples.

“I’d shake your hand but,” Michael gestured to Calum, who was practically hanging off of him, growling lowly, “ _It’s his time of the month_ ,” He said in a stage whisper. Calum bit his shoulder in a half-hearted retaliation.

Ashton laughed at Michael’s joke, which was a brilliant start, but he looked slightly worried, “Shouldn’t he be with his pack for the moon?”

“We’re his pack,” Luke responded, flipping the door sign to closed, and it was wonderful how quickly Luke had actually become part of the pack.

It had come as a bit of a surprise, since Calum was usually picky about his friends, but he and his wolf had taken an instant liking to Luke, and their little pack had gone from two to three.

“Do you guys wanna head upstairs and hangout for a bit?” Luke offered. Michael adored Luke’s apartment, it was like an extension of the shop, only with more plants. It was cluttered and messy, but it felt homely. (And if Michael and Calum had their own dedicated mugs there, well, no one had to know).

Calum seemed to perk up at this offer, staring up at Luke with big dark eyes, “Will you make the nice tea?”

Luke laughed softly, “Sure pup.”

Luke led the way, Michael supporting Calum up the stairs, Ashton bringing up the rear. Luke went off the make tea for them all, and the other three collapsed on the couch, all managing to squeeze onto the one couch Luke owned, which was quite a feat given they were all at least six feet tall.

Soon enough, Luke returned, carrying two steaming mugs, the other two floating behind him. He sat down between Michael and Ashton, and Calum extended his sprawl, shuffling around a lot so he could shove his face into Luke’s neck, whole body trembling. Michael just petted the closest body part (his shin).

Ashton still looked slightly worried, “Is this normal? Sorry, I’ve never known a werewolf before-”

“Ash, shuddup,” Luke kicked his leg gently, “It’s fine, you’re allowed to ask things. We’re all different species so none of us really know each other’s experiences.”

“The moon’s usually like this, for me,” Came Calum’s voice, slightly muffled by Luke’s skin, “Some wolves have it better, some get it worse.”

Ashton’s eyebrows creased, “But it doesn’t hurt you, right?”

“No, he’s just a needy little bitch for twenty-four hours and then he sleeps for another twelve,” Michael supplied, and Calum growled at him, although it held no threat.

“Try me, puppy,” Michael bared his teeth, and Calum grumbled, squirming over from Luke to Michael and biting Michael’s nose. Michael tickled his sides, which had Calum squirming.

Luke rolled his eyes, though he was smiling fondly, “Children, behave.”

“Yes dad,” Calum mumbled, squirming so he was cuddled into Michael’s chest with his legs thrown across Luke’s lap.

Ashton giggled, and the four of them settled into a companionable silence, only interrupted by Calum’s occasional shuffling or grumbling. At some point, Calum ended up with his head in Ashton’s lap. Ashton looked a little panicked, like he didn’t know what to do.

“Shut up. I can smell you over thinking this,” Calum mumbled, which put an end to Ashton’s thoughts.

Calum pressed his face into Ashton’s stomach, breathing in deeply. Ashton still looked confused.

“His wolf’s just making him get your scent, down worry about it,” Luke said reassuringly, and Calum’s muffled voice said, “Sorry.”

Calum lifted his head, blushing just a little, eyes shining silver. “You smell like coffee and the ocean,” He said, smiling, “Also magic. But I think that’s from Luke.”

“Well, I do work in a café,” Ashton said, gently tugging Calum’s shirt to get him to settle back down. Calum wriggled around a little before finding a comfortable position, eyes slipping shut as Ashton ran his fingers through his hair.

“You’re warm and cosy,” he murmured, before falling asleep.

Michael rolled his eyes, “You’d think he was an actual dog for the amount he sleeps.”

###

A few weeks later, Michael found himself back working at Luke’s shop. Luke was dealing with another snobby customer, this time a vampire who seemed to think she was the superior species.

“Listen ma’am, I understand what you’re saying, but these texts are ancient. They can’t have been ‘corrupted’ by modern views,” Luke said, in his overly polite customer service voice.

“Nonsense!” The woman responded, her voice high and grating, “No sane tome of the ancients would report _dogs_ to be a respectable species-”

“Ma’am,” Luke’s voice took on the sharp tone it did when he was close to kicking someone out of the store, “If you cannot keep your personal views to yourself then I am going to have to ask you to leave. I have other customers that I need to serve and I would appreciate it if I could do my job.”

Calum had, understandably, disappeared off into the back of the store when the woman had entered, as he was very good a reading people. Michael could hear him talking quietly to a young dryad about herbs.

Michael decided then that maybe it would be good to help Luke, so he stepped behind the counter.

“Is there a problem here?” He asked, making sure his fangs were visible when he spoke. He could feel Luke’s magic reaching out to him, a silent thanks.

The woman sent Luke a smug look, probably assuming Michael was Luke’s boss and was going to agree with her. “Well, this young _fae_ says these books are ancient, but the material in them just seems too modern.”

“Well, my colleague knows his stuff. And in this case he is absolutely correct. These books are dated from sometime around the sixteen-hundreds. If you want more modern views, then may I direct you to the shelf next to the amulets.”

She huffed, “Well then I shall take my business elsewhere,” She said, before storming out.

“Have a nice day,” Luke called, using his magic to prevent her from having the satisfaction of slamming the door.

“What an asshole,” Michael commented, pressing his face to the junction of Luke’s neck for a moment, before leaving him to help some other customers, who were all very sympathetic.

The rest of the day passed without incident (except Calum knocking over a bowl of precious stones, but that was a regular occurrence). Michael flipped the sign to closed once the last customer had left, and a few minutes later Ashton appeared at the door.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” Michael said with a grin, already opening the door to him.

“That’s alright,” Ashton beamed, “I just came to see if you guys wanna come hangout at mine, order pizza or something. My roommate’s going out with his boyfriend, so I’m gonna be lonely.”

Luke and Calum came over, Calum hugging Ashton in greeting, leaving Ashton looking slightly bewildered.

“That sounds good. We can’t have you being all lonely now,” Said Luke, and the four of them exited the shop, Michael locking up behind them.

It turned out Ashton didn’t live that far away, so they walked together, recounting the incident with the vampire snob to Ashton, who asked if everyone was okay.

“Oh yeah, I think he might still be home, so a warning about my roommate,” Ashton said as he led them into his building, “He’s a demon, a succubus, and his boyfriend is an incubus, so they give off weird energy that can take some getting used to. I don’t know how sensitive you guys are to energies but uh, yeah. It doesn’t affect me at all.”

Calum chewed his lip anxiously, “I’m quite sensitive to energy. He’s not evil, is he?”

Ashton shook his head, “No, of course not. No worse than an average fae- sorry Luke- his energy is more chaotic than evil, so it’s just a bit unsettling sometimes.”

And with that, Ashton opened the door, letting them all inside.

A dark haired man was sat on the kitchen counter, typing away of his phone, but he looked up when he heard them enter, greeting them with a smile, “Ashton, hey! You finally brought your harem.”

“Shut up Jack,” Ashton responded, but his tone was light, “Jack, this is Luke, Calum, and Michael. Guys, this is Jack, my idiot roommate.”

“I feel like we’re unlocking Ashton’s lore,” Michael stage whispered to Luke, who giggled.

“You’re a fucking nerd,” Calum said, punching Michael’s shoulder.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you all, but I’ve got a hot date. Later losers,” Jack said, leaving with a wave.

Ashton called after him, “Tell Alex I said hi!”

It didn’t take long for the four of them to end up snuggling on the couch. Ashton’s apartment was bigger than Luke’s, and there was an extra couch, but they all ended up on the one anyway.

Pizza was ordered and they all squabbled over slices, Michael arguing that just because he didn’t _need_ to eat didn’t meant he didn’t _want_ to eat. Once everyone had finished eating they settled down, shitty TV playing in the background.

“We should get drunk and play like... Never Have I Ever, or Truth or Dare,” Michael suggested, and Calum snorted.

“What are you, a sixteen year old girl? Besides, you can’t even get drunk.”

Michael pouted, “There’s still loads we don’t know about each other.”

“We can play those games without getting drunk. I don’t wanna do any accidental magic.”

“Wait- Michael can’t get drunk?” Ashton spoke up, looking confused.

Michael grinned, “See! Still loads to learn,” He said, before continuing, “I technically don’t ingest any of the food or drink I consume, because I’m only meant to consume blood. So alcohol doesn’t affect me. Different species’ blood has different effects and taste. There is one type of blood that sort of gets me high,” He smirked, eyeing Luke, who huffed.

“I am not letting you drink my blood just so you can get high.”

Michael threw an arm over Luke’s shoulder, “But Lukey, I’m your best friend,” He whined, over-exaggerated, grazing his fangs over Luke’s neck. Luke shuddered, and pushed him away, blushing.

“You’re an asshole. Ashton’s my best friend now.”

“What do other species’ blood taste like?” Ashton asked, shifting to accommodate Luke, who had crawled into his lap.

Michael hummed, thinking over his answer, “Werewolf blood tastes bad, like, terrible.”

Calum laughed, “Oh god, I remember that. When we first moved out and had no money so you tried to drink from me and decided you’d rather just go hungry.”

“Mate, it was actually rank. The worst thing I’ve ever tasted. I’m gonna gag just thinking about it,” Michael winced, “Anyway. Um... Dryad blood tastes like hazelnut. Naiad, Mermaid, Selkie all tastes normal just a bit saltier, which is sometimes quite nice. Demon blood is also gross, tastes like actual death, which isn’t surprising. Can’t drink angel blood, cuz it’d kill me. I can’t really think of anything else.”

“Woah. I never really thought about different blood tasting different. So could you identify someone’s species by tasting their blood?” Ashton asked.

“Theoretically, yes. But only if it were a species whose blood I knew. There’s some I’ve never tried before. I tend to stick to the main ones you can buy, dryad and naiad.”

“Speaking of different species,” Calum piped up, looking at Ashton, “You never told us what you are. I’m all for respecting privacy-” Michael snorted, Calum hit him, “but mate. C’mon. I can’t pin your scent down properly, cuz you just smell like coffee and salt and, uh, us.”

Ashton blushed, “Wait- I smell like you guys?”

“Yeah, mostly Luke though, cuz magic always smells stronger. And you’ve got a bit of your own magic.”

“Huh. That’s kinda cool.”

Calum smirked, “You’re dodging the question.”

“My species isn’t that impressive-” Ashton started, but Luke cut him off.

“We’re not gonna judge you,” He said softly, and Michael remembered that Luke already knew. “You don’t have to be embarrassed or anything.”

Ashton sighed, cuddling closer to Luke, who wrapped an arm around him comfortingly.

Eventually, Ashton admitted quietly, “I’m a selkie. I keep my sealskin in my closet because I don’t like it.”

Luke frowned, gently brushing Ashton’s hair from his face. Michael felt like he and Calum were intruding on a moment.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of it.”

Ashton made a soft sound, like a wounded animal, “You don’t get it. You guys are so cool and powerful. Cal, you turn into a wolf. Michael, you can heal yourself and turn into a bat and everything. Luke, you can fucking do _magic._ I what do I do? I put on a little coat and turn into a fucking seal. That’s it.”

“That’s not true,” Luke said, still holding Ashton’s face, “Selkies can do way more, although turning into an animal is pretty fucking cool, no matter what the animal it. Male selkies rescue those who are unhappy in their relationships, and I hear they’re very handsome.”

Michael watched as Luke’s head moved. He couldn’t see what was happening, but when Luke moved Ashton looked flustered and slightly dazed.

“Did you just kiss?” Calum asked from behind Michael. “Dammit, I thought Luke and Michael were gonna be the first ones to kiss.”

Luke laughed, pressing a kiss to the side of Ashton’s head as he turned towards Michael and Calum.

“Hang on,” Michael finally processed what Calum had said, “Why did you think Luke was gonna kiss me?”

Calum regarded him as if the answer was obvious, “Mate. I’ll be the first to admit it. We’ve been dancing around each other for _weeks_. Michael, I think I’ve been crushing on you for _years_.”

“We’re all idiots,” Luke said, and Ashton giggled.

“Wait- years?” Michael squirmed, turning to face Calum, who laughed.

“Yes dumbass. Years.”

Michael scowled, “Well you’d better kiss me right now then, to make up for all that lost time.”

Calum laughed, pressing his lips to Michael’s briefly, “There. Happy now?”

“Absolutely not,” He turned back around, “Luke, c’mere. Ashton, you’re next.”

And they spent the rest of the night exchanging kisses and laughing over how stupid they’d all been. Then when they started getting tired, they all piled into Ashton’s bed, using the small space as an excuse to snuggle up to each other.

###

“Hey Luke,” Michael walked into the kitchen of his and Calum’s apartment. Calum was humming along to the radio, cooking pancakes in just his boxers and a t-shirt (Michael took a moment to appreciate his ass). Luke was sat up to the table, drinking a mug of tea. He looked up when Michael said his name.

“Yeah?” He asked, tilting his head.

Michael grinned, sitting down opposite him, “What does your true skin look like?”

Luke scowled, “I already told you, I’m not showing you.”

It had been an ongoing debate amongst the four of them for a while. Calum and Michael both wanted to see Luke’s true skin. Luke didn’t want to show them, for reasons he never quite specified. Ashton sided with Luke, as expected, since Ashton hadn’t let any of them see him transformed either.

“C’mon, please,” Michael whined. He didn’t attempt puppy-dog eyes, that was Calum and, surprisingly, Ashton’s forte. “You’ve seen Cal transformed. You saw me that time I forgot to feed for like, a week.”

“Still haven’t seen Ash transformed,” Calum commented, setting four plates of pancakes on the table.

Luke sliced some strawberries to go with his pancake, “See. Speaking of, where is Ash?” He gestured the plate in front of the empty seat.

“He said he was helping Jack and Alex with something, I dunno. He said he’d be here soon.”

Just as Calum said that, the door opened, and Ashton stepped inside, looking dishevelled. There were teeth marks and bruises up his neck, and Michael wolf-whistled, trying not to laugh at Ashton’s expression.

“Well hello Mr Unfaithful,” Luke greeted him, but it was clear he was only teasing.

Ashton blushed, ducking his head, “Sorry. Occupational hazard of living with a succubus. Jack and Alex have been arguing which mean Jack hadn’t been getting the uh... energy he usually feeds off and he was absolutely insatiable this morning. I had to call Alex and tell him they’d better sort their shit out because I have my own boyfriends, I don’t need to look after his as well.”

“So that’s why you look so wonderfully fucked out,” Michael comment with a laugh, and Ashton hid his face, in his hands, the way he always did when he was flustered.

Calum laughed, “C’mon Mikey, stop bullying him. Ash, I made you pancakes.”

Ashton joined them at the table and they ate in relative silence. Michael was the first to finish, and he kicked Luke’s shins until he paid attention to him.

“Ow, asshole. What do you want?”

“Why don’t you wanna show us your skin?”

Luke sighed, “Because when I wear my true skin, my magic is less filtered. I don’t... I don’t want to make you guys do stuff you wouldn’t normally do.”

Michael grinned, “Awww, so you just wanna make sure everything’s consensual.”

“Yeah, if you wanna put it that way...”

Laughing, Michael ruffled Luke’s curls. “Well, I’ll have you know I’m immune to fae magic. One of the pros of being a vampire.”

Luke looked up, curious, “Wait really? I never knew that.”

Michael nodded, “Yup! So you can’t take my name or my belongings, your sneaky tricks don’t work on me. Direct magic does, though. Your herbs and stuff. Although that also means that my magic doesn’t work on you. So I can’t hypnotise you or erase your memory.”

“Nice to know,” Luke said, smiling.

“For some reason, Calum is particularly susceptible to magic and stuff. It’s not even a werewolf thing, it’s just Calum,” Michael said, looking over at the boy in question.

Calum nodded, “Yeah, it’s always been like that. Michael used to take advantage of it loads when we were younger, but he doesn’t do it as much anymore.”

“Ash, what about you?” Luke asked, looking to the selkie.

Ashton shrugged, “Average. I could probably shake off some weaker magic, but most stuff gets me.”

Luke chewed his lip, and Michael looked at him, begging. Eventually, Luke sighed.

“Fine, I’ll show you my true skin. But as long as everyone is aware that my magic might make you guys act weird. Cal?”

“I’m fine with that dude. Besides, it’d be unfair for you to not be able to chill out in your true skin while I’m out here transforming whenever I want to, and Michael’s out here with his fangs out. And Ashton knows he can transform whenever he wants to.”

The last part was said with a pointed look at Ashton, who rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Ashton knows he can transform whenever he wants to. But he doesn’t want to,” Ashton responded in a monotone, and Michael snickered.

“Alright well... Shall we go into the living room?” Luke suggested, looking slightly nervous.

The rest of the boys agreed, and they all headed in, Luke remaining stood up while the rest of them made themselves comfortable on the couch.

“Alright, uh...”

“You know you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Ashton spoke up, voice gentle. Michael would have complained, except Ashton sounded genuinely concerned.

Luke smiled a little, “No, it’s okay, it’s uh, it’s just been a while.”

No one said anything else, and Luke closed his eyes. It was strange, him looking so serene while wearing Calum’s shirt and Michael’s sweatpants, his hair still sleep-mussed. Then, his form flickered a little, seeming to meld and change.

He looked sharper, somehow. His cheekbones, his jaw line, just sharp. His skin seemed more golden, shedding more of his usual sparkling dust. His hair was a little longer, and when he opened his eyes the pupils were gone, and they were swirling bright blues and silvers, deep pools that Michael wanted to drown in. His eyelashes were longer too, also golden.

And he had wings.

Two nearly transparent dragonfly wings were just visible behind him, also shedding glitter. Michael could feel the tug of his magic, like a fish hook in his stomach, but there was no compulsion behind it.

One glance beside him showed that Calum was clearly feeling the effects. His eyes were wide, lips slightly parted, and he leant forwards a little, absolutely enthralled by Luke. Ashton, too, looked dazed, but at least he was clearly in his own head.

Luke turned to Michael, smiling shyly, a stark contrast to his appearance.

“Well? Is it what you expected?”

Michael grinned, “Not at all. But you look stunning. Absolutely beautiful. C’mere, I think the puppy wants you closer,” He added, and Luke laughed softly.

He slipped onto the couch, fitting himself between Calum and Michael, although Calum quickly made room by crawling into Luke’s lap and burying his face in Luke’s neck. Calum wriggled, his back end moving constantly, and Michael laughed when he realised what he was doing.

“He’s wagging his tail! Dumb dog,” Michael announced, and Ashton managed to shake himself out of his daze.

“Hey, don’t be mean,” He ran a hand down Calum’s spine, “He’s just excited.”

Luke reach out, catching Ashton’s hand and tugging him closer into the little group huddle that was going on.

“I suppose I’m next,” Ashton said, after a brief lull in conversation.

“You don’t have to,” Luke said, shifting to pet Ashton’s hair. Calum whined softly when no one was giving him attention, so Luke chuckled and moved his other hand to Calum’s hair.

“I mean, it’d only be fair...”

Michael grinned, “Saving the best ‘til last babe.”

Ashton rolled his eyes, “Oh sure. Totally.”

###

In the following weeks, the weather took a harsh turn. The sky was permanently grey and the temperature soon dropped below freezing. Luke had shut up his shop for a bit, since he wasn’t getting any customers anyway, and had taken to joining Michael and Calum in their cuddle pile and movie binging sessions.

When Luke entered their apartment, Michael was sprawled out on the couch, wrapped in a dozen blankets with a very furry Calum curled up asleep beside him. Luke petted the wolf as he climbed over him, crawling under Michael’s blanket collection.

“Why is your apartment colder than it is outside?” He asked, breath fogging in the air.

“Heating broke,” Michael mumbled, teeth chattering as he tried to speak.

Luke frowned, “Why didn’t you call me, you could’ve come and stayed at mine.”

“Luke I have no blood,” Michael snuggled into him shamelessly, “Do you know how little time it takes for me to freeze? I can’t die from it but it’s still fucking annoying and uncomfortable and painful.”

“Aw baby,” Luke pressed kisses all over his face, until Michael shoved him off.

Calum stretched out with yawn, before sniffing the air. His ears perked up and he scrambled to his feet, plodding over and dropping down on top of the pair, licking Luke’s face in greeting.

“Hi there puppy,” Luke said, scratching behind his ear. Calum wagged his tail.

The doorbell buzzed, and Michael groaned at the prospect of having to get up. Luke just waved his hand and the door opened.

“Hello? Oh Jesus fuck it’s cold in here-” Came a voice that Michael vaguely recognised, and he shuffled into a sitting position, dragging Luke with him so he could continue to steal his body heat.

“Hi. Uh- Jack, right?” He said, catching the attention of the guy in the doorway.

Jack nodded, “Yup! I got your address off Ashton, just in case, y’know, and turns out I actually needed it because Ashton is currently unable to talk. Or write. Or really communicate that well at all.”

“Is he okay?” Luke looked concerned.

“Oh he’s fine, I think. He’s quite angry at me though. But I thought you guys would like to know what happened.”

Michael gestured for Jack to come inside, and Jack did so, shutting the door behind himself. He came and sat on the coffee table, looking a little alarmed when Calum growled at him, but Luke scratched Calum’s ear and told him to be quiet.

“Basically Ash was cold and asked me to get a blanket for him and he does these really cute puppy eyes so I sorta had no choice, and he looked so sweet and pitiful. Uh- so I went to his closet and got out what I _thought_ was a really thick blanket, but, uh, turns out it was his sealskin. So I just threw it down on him and he snuggled into it and before he even realised what it was, he was a seal. And basically his magic won’t let him change back because it’s literally been _years_ since he last transformed. And I don’t know how a seal can look angry but he’s definitely angry at me. Probably because I called him cute. Whatever. I thought I’d come and get you guys, never waste an opportunity and all that.”

Michael grinned, “Oh wonderful. We’ve been tryna get him to transform for ages. He’s stubborn as fuck though.”

“Tell me about it,” Jack sighed. “Anyway, if you guys wanna come over that’s cool. Uh, Michael, you’re a vampire, right?”

Michael nodded.

“Alright, I think, yeah, I can probably manage to keep you warm on the walk over,” Jack chewed his lip, mumbling something. A small orange flame burst alight in his palm, before slowly floating towards Michael. He could feel it’s warmth as it approached, but it didn’t stop, instead it sank into his chest.

He couldn’t help but laugh, “Mate, that feels so weird. But that’s so cool.”

“Thanks!” Jack grinned. “Alright, let’s go.”

They untangled themselves from the blankets, found shoes and coats, and soon they were out the door. Calum hadn’t bothered to change back, he just trotted at Luke’s heel, occasionally chasing pigeon’s until Luke threatened to put him on a leash if he didn’t behave.

Jack let them into his apartment but didn’t follow them inside, “I’m gonna go bully Alex. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He said, before leaving.

Calum immediately dashed off, Luke and Michael following at a much slower pace. Calum nudged open the door and bounded onto Ashton’s bed. There was a disgruntled growl, which Calum answered with his own playful growl, and Michael stepped inside to find the wolf curled up next to a slightly smaller seal, which was wrapped in a blanket.

Michael couldn’t help but coo at the scene.

“Aw, Ashy, you’re so cute,” Michael said, as he and Luke joined the two animals in bed.

When Ashton turned back later that evening, he had a lot to say, but Luke easily silenced him by kissing the words out of his mouth.

###

“We should go on a proper date,” Michael said, walking into the living room of his and Calum’s apartment, where the rest of the boys were gathered.

“Why don’t you ask us on a date then,” Ashton responded. He had one arm over the back of the couch, fingers curled in the soft baby hairs at the back of Luke’s neck, the other hand in his lap, where Calum’s head was pillowed. Calum looked to be asleep, Ashton’s fingers gently scratching his scalp, legs thrown across Luke’s.

Michael found his place on the couch, crawling up on Luke’s other side, resting a head on his shoulder. “Maybe I will.”

“Where should be go?” Calum asked, words sleepy and slurred. The whole scene was sickeningly domestic.

“I dunno,” Michael hummed, “I don’t think any of us are the fancy restaurant sort of guys.”

“We could go to the cinema or something?” Luke suggested.

“Or we could stay in and order pizza?” Michael offered, and Ashton rolled his eyes.

“That’s not a date, that’s a regular Friday night.”

Michael huffed, “It’s a date if I pay for it and we get fancy wine as well.”

Calum stretched out, yawning, “If Michael’s paying then I agree with him,” he said, ignoring Ashton’s mumble of, “Lazy bastards.”

“How about,” Luke spoke up, ever the peacemaker, “We have group date night once a month. We take it in turns to chose where we go. Since Michael suggested it, he can choose for this month.”

Michael grinned, “Luke you’re a genius, I’m glad we have you around.”

Luke rolled his eyes, although he was blushing, “Sure. That’s the only reason you keep me around.”

Michael dropped himself into Luke’s lap, pressing a kiss to his nose, “Aw, don’t be like that babe. We keep you around for loads of reasons. Mostly cuz we love you. But also cuz your cleaning charms are super helpful.”

With a laugh, Luke shoved Michael’s shoulder, “I love you too. Now go order that pizza, I wanna be wooed.”

“I’ll let you guys pick a movie while I sort out pizza and wine,” Michael said, climbing out of Luke’s lap and wandering off to go order the pizza.

Once everything was sorted and they’d all settled on the couch, pizza on the table and wine in hand, Ashton pressed play on the film that Calum had chosen. It was some sort of horror film, which Ashton hadn’t liked the idea of, but Calum had convinced him, saying that it wasn’t that bad and he had three awesome boyfriends to protect him if he got too scared.

Michael himself wasn’t a big fan of most horror films. Not because they scared him, but because all the blood tended to fuck with his brain.

He remembered this reasoning when, halfway through the film, sat between Ashton and Calum, all he could hear was the heartbeats of his boyfriends. Ashton beside him was the loudest, changing pace with fear. Calum’s was steadier, still a little quick, and Luke’s was fainter, but still there.

He shuffled a bit, cuddling closer to Ashton. Ashton wrapped an arm around him, but didn’t take his eyes off the TV, and Michael sighed, bracing himself for the rest of the film.

He thought he would make it, that he’d be on edge for the evening and then tomorrow he could send Calum to buy him some more blood because he probably would have needed to feed in the next few days, whatever. But then the film came closer to ending, and the ending was an absolute bloodbath.

Michael let out a quiet whine as his fangs started to ache, and he hid his face in Ashton’s shoulder, not-so-subtly breathing in his scent. Ashton pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. His other hand came to settle on Michael’s cheek, tilting his head back so that their eyes met.

Ashton’s eyebrows were creased in concern, and he looked like his was about to say something, but he stopped when he saw Michael’s face, looking surprised.

“Mikey, your eyes,” He said softly, and Michael whined again, squirming a little. This caught Calum’s attention, who leant over to get a look.

“There was a lot of blood, in the last scene,” Michael mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Calum frowned, “Sorry. I didn’t think it’d affect you.”

Michael shook his head, pressing a quick kiss to Calum’s lips, “No, it’s okay. I was meant to feed in a few days anyway, so it’s not completely your fault.”

“What’re you gonna do though? We ran out of your blood supply last week.”

Michael shrugged, “It’s fine. I can manage until tomorrow.”

Calum raised an eyebrow, clearly about to call Michael out for his lie, but Ashton interrupted.

“You can feed from me if you want.”

“Absolutely not,” Michael said instantly, “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Luke hooked his chin over Calum’s shoulder, “I mean, it’s not like you could lose control and completely drain him. Me and Calum are here, we’ll make sure nothing bad happens.”

“But even if I don’t lose control, there’s still the venom and stuff...”

“Vampire venom isn’t that different to my magic when I wear my true skin,” Luke said, “Ashton’s a big boy, he can make his own decisions.”

Ashton rolled his eyes at Luke’s wording, “It’s my choice Mikey, don’t be so worried. Besides, it’s better than you trying to wait and then losing control later.”

Michael’s resolve crumbled, and he huffed, “Fine. But if my venom makes you do something stupid then it’s not my fault.”

“Yeah yeah, I get it,” Ashton tugged Michael into his lap, resting a hand on his hip, “Get your teeth in me, your eyes are kinda spooky.”

Michael laughed softly despite himself, before settling in Ashton’s lap. He pressed his face to the junction of his neck, just taking a moment to breathe in his scent and listen to the sound of his heartbeat. Ashton’s pulse stuttered, quickening a little and Michael trailed his lips up his neck, pausing for a moment before sinking his fangs in. Ashton’s breath hitched, the hand on Michael’s hip squeezing a little.

Somewhere nearby, Michael heard Luke murmur something to Calum. He’d almost forgotten that they were watching, distracted by the salty taste of Ashton’s blood on his tongue. He allowed himself to indulge for some time, losing track a little until he felt a hand in his hair, gently tugging. He thought it was Ashton, but when he lifted his head, leaning into the touch, he saw it was Calum.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Calum murmured, using his thumb to swipe a stray drop of blood from the corner of Michael’s mouth. Calum held his thumb against Michael’s lips, and Michael’s tongue darted out, licking up the blood.

“You guys are gonna kill me,” Luke whined, still leaning over Calum’s shoulder, “Is it wrong to think that was hot?”

Michael shook himself out of his slight daze, and shifted in Ashton’s lap so he could face Luke easier. As he turned, he smirked.

“It can’t be wrong if you’re not the only one who thought so. But I think we should wait for Ashton to be back in his own head once the venom wears off.”

Luke pouted, “We don’t have to do anything with him.”

Calum rolled his eyes and turned, grabbing Luke’s hair and pulling him into a kiss. Michael leant back against Ashton’s chest, happy to watch the pair make out.

Eventually, just as Luke and Calum started to get handsy (which Michael was not complaining about), Ashton shifted, moving to wrap around Michael’s waist properly.

“If I knew it was gonna lead to this then I would’ve let you do that way sooner,” Ashton mumbled against Michael’s shoulder, words slightly slurred.

Michael turned, wanting to check on Ashton, “You okay?”

Ashton laughed softly, “Definitely okay. I’ve got my hot boyfriend in my lap, with my two other hot boyfriends making out in front of me. I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”

“Shall we take this to bed so we’ve got more room?” Michael suggested, and Ashton nodded. Michael stood up, helping Ashton to his feet, which caught Luke’s attention.

Calum whined when Luke pulled away from the kiss, but Luke just grinned, slightly flustered, “We moving to bed?”

Michael helped Luke up as well, laughing a little at Calum, who already looked incredibly needy.

“C’mon pup,” Michael said, as Luke and Ashton disappeared into the bedroom. “You don’t wanna miss out.”

Calum scrambled to his feet, grabbing the front of Michael’s shirt and pulling him into an intense kiss. Michael allowed himself to enjoy it for a few minutes before he pulled away and dragged Calum to their bedroom.

They entered the room only to be greeted by the sight of Luke and Ashton, who clearly hadn’t planned to wait for them. Ashton was laid on his back, shirt somewhere on the floor, Luke straddling his hips in just his boxers, the pair of them making out. Michael stopped in the doorway for a moment, just to appreciate the view.

Calum pressed himself to Michael’s back, mouthing at his jaw and rutting is hips. Michael allowed it for a few seconds before he turned his head and caught Calum in a kiss, letting his fangs scrape against his lower lip.

“Jesus _fucking_ Christ,” came a breathy voice, and Michael pulled away from Calum, ignoring his whine. Luke was watching them intently, although his lips were swollen from kissing Ashton. “I think everyone in this room needs to be naked like, right now,” he continued, “And you two definitely need to get over here.”

“Yes sir,” Michael teased, allowing Calum to tug his shirt off before turning around to return the favour.

###

Michael woke up to the sound of soft chatter coming from a different room, with a warm weight pressed into his side but far too much empty space in the rest of the bed.

He shifted a little, slowly opening his eyes. There was an arm around his waist, preventing him from moving, and blonde curls in his mouth. Luke, then. The only other person who woke up at a normal time and wasn’t some weird morning person.

The chatter, presumably from the kitchen, rose in volume before abruptly cutting off. There was the clatter of claws on tile, a familiar sound that made Michael smile, and then a moment later a large black mass jumped up on the bad.

Michael laughed, shoving Calum off when he stuck his wet nose in his ear. “I’m already awake, go bother Luke.”

Calum did just that, shuffling across the bed as if he were hunting, before dropping his entire weight onto Luke and licking his face. Luke jolted awake, flailing a little in panic and looking around blearily, until his brain caught up. He whined, hiding his face in Michael’s chest, and blindly patted around until he found Calum’s head, scratching behind his ear.

From the doorway, Ashton laughed softly. He was holding four mugs, presumably tea and coffee, but he had clearly been content to watch them all for a short while.

When he noticed Michael looking, he grinned and walked over. He set the drinks on the night stand before leaning down, pressing a quick kiss to Michael’s nose.

“Good morning,” He murmured, and Michael smiled, catching his lips in a proper kiss.

“Morning,” He returned, once Ashton had pulled away.

Michael pushed himself up into a sitting position, dragging Luke with him. Ashton got into bed beside Luke, giving him a gentle kiss as well. Calum got to his feet only to walk in circles a couple of times, before flopping down on their feet.

Once they’d had time to cool a little, Michael passed the mugs down the line. Ashton’s gross black sludge of coffee, Luke’s fruity herbal tea that was a weird orangey colour, and his own coffee, which resembled an actual drink instead of sludge. He left Calum’s tea on the stand, since Calum clearly wasn’t interested at the moment.

An easy silence fell over them, only interrupted by the sound of Calum’s tail brushing against the sheets as he wagged it.

Eventually, Calum seemed to grow restless, as he got to his feet and shook himself off. He made his way up the bed, before lying back down on top of Luke and stretching out. His fur shimmered and there was the sound of cracking bones, which always made Ashton wince despite Calum’s assurance that it didn’t hurt one bit, and then he was human, and wonderfully naked, sprawled on top of Luke.

Calum shivered, quickly crawling under the covers, clearly determined to pester Luke as much as possible.

“Hey, hey guys guess what!” Calum beamed, poking Michael’s cheek.

Ashton smiled fondly, swatting at his hand when Calum turned to give him the same treatment. “What?”

“Our pack bond became official!”

Luke frowned, “I thought we were already a pack?”

Calum shrugged, wriggling around, “I mean, technically we were. But cuz you guys aren’t wolves, things work slightly differently. Me and Michael have been bonded for ages, but even then it took a while for that to happen. But our pack bond has officially formed! In the eyes of the law, we’re a pack!”

Luke’s eyes widened, “The law?”

“Werewolf council laws. Some people argue that non-wolves can’t be in packs, and go as far as to try and split up mixed packs. But they can’t dispute official bonds!”

While it was nothing Michael hadn’t heard before, Luke looked almost angry.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked, and Calum wilted a little.

“I didn’t wanna make you guys worry,” He mumbled.

Luke huffed, pulling Calum into a tight hug, “You’re lucky you’re so cute else I’d be pissed. But I guess there’s no point being angry if there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

Calum beamed, pressing his face into Luke’s neck.

“I love you guys,” He said, voice muffled, “I’m glad we’re pack now.”

“Mean’s no one can take us away from each other,” Michael added with a grin, dropping a kiss to Luke’s head.

Ashton laughed softly, ruffling Calum’s hair, “You can’t get rid of us.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want some fun extra content, check out the tumblr tag for this fic here -> [ https://mastasof-ravenkroft.tumblr.com/tagged/mythical-sos ]. I'm always accepting asks so don't be shy!!
> 
> As always, comments greatly appreciated (did you find the secret trans character? <3)


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